It’s unknown when they were first parted, only that they were painted on panels by Goltzius circa 1611. Deprived of his companion in paradise, Adam showed up in 2003 at a French auction and was sold to a New York dealer, a branch of hawthorn in our forefather’s hand clutched to his chest, the bottom edge of the painting cropped just above where his nipples would’ve shown— his life-size figure mirroring back who we are, sprigs of hawthorn crowning his curls, all sold in turn to the Wadsworth Atheneum the following year. Exactly when Eve showed up in the Musée des Beaux Arts in Strasbourg is beside the point. What counts is when you turn the panels over, the markings match. Never mind that they were made for one another, his head turning to his own left, hers to the right, offering up an apple to his mouth if only she could move it from one frame to the next. Nor will his hand ever touch her breasts, nipples angled up, her tresses flowing free. The curator of the Wadsworth claims it’s been centuries since this pair was last seen together, other paintings in their vast collection still searching for their mates, often victims of scheduling or financial restraints. Best hurry up while there’s time—our reunited couple on view from Feb. 14 to the end of May.

Listen to Timothy Liu’s reading of “On The Separation of Adam and Eve” below…

Timothy Liu’s poem refers to Dutch master Hendrick Goltzius’ panels Adam and Eve, painted in the early 17th century. The paintings were briefly reunited for an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts of Strasbourg in the spring of 2010, after over a century apart. Image courtesy of The Wadsworth Museum.